The Duke of Roxburghe
Arms: ( As recorded in Lyon Register ), – Quarterly: 1st and 4th grand quarters counterquartered; 1st and 4th Vert on a chevron between three unicorns’ heads erased Argent armed and maned Or as many mullets Sable (Ker); 2nd and 3rd Gules three mascles Or (Weapont); 2nd and 3rd grand quarters, Argent three mullets of six points Azure (Innes).
John Ker, 5th Earl of Roxburghe, b. 30 Apr 1680 – d. 27 Feb 1741, 2nd son of the 3rd Earl,
succeeded his brother, the 4th Earl on 13 Jul 1696. He was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland in 1704. His influence during the debates on passing the Union in 1707 was of the greatest value, and contributed greatly to its success. His services were rewarded by his being created, by patent dated at Kensington, 25 Apr, 1707, Duke of Roxburghe along with a group of subsidiary titles with the same remainder as the Earldom, that is to say, with remainder to his heirs-male.
His creation was the last dukedom and the very last addition to the Peerage of Scotland.
He was chosen as one of the Representative Peers of Scotland in four Parliaments, 1707, 1710, 1715 and 1727.
Almost all of the above information was sourced and or quoted from the entry on Innes Ker, Duke of Roxburghe, pp 312-360, Volume VII, 1910, “The Scots Peerage” by Sir James Balfour Paul.
The Dukedom survives today 2017 in the person of Guy David Innes-Ker, 10th Duke of Roxburghe, who has amongst his issue an heir-male and spare.
The Dukedom of Roxburghe is listed in Appendix B, The Union Role of 1960. (Page 159, “The Sixteen Peers of Scotland”, Sir James Fergusson of Kilkerran, Bt., 1960 )
Sources: BLG, 19th Ed.; “The Sixteen Peers of Scotland” by Fergusson; Various Wikipedia articles; “The Scots Peerage” 1904-1914 by Paul; “Debrett’s Peerage” of 1904; “An Ordinary of Arms”, 2nd Ed. By Paul; and “Roll of Scottish Arms” 1964-1969 by Gayre.
The artwork is a rendering by John Hamilton Gaylor.
2017 0209
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